Samuel Gompers papers

1884-1925

The Samuel Gompers Papers consist of Scrapbooks (1914-1925), Testimonials (1911 & 1917), Memorials (1924-1925), Photograph Albums (1918; 1886-1927) - Various Certificates (1909-1923) - Photographs - Artifacts - Ephemera, and Invitations - Membership Cards - Dues Books (ca. 1886-1924); in addition, there is an oversize certificate (1894) in the Charter Case. The 42 scrapbook volumes are in two parts, occasional correspondence and clippings. The occasional correspondence is concerned with both public and private events in Gomper's life. Along with incoming correspondence are. press-releases and printed matter. There is one scrapbook of political cartoons with other papers included. The 31 boxes of clippings do not contain much else other than printed matter. Three boxes of unbound scrapbook pages contain letters and clippings concerned with the occasions of various deaths in Gomper's family and of birthday celebrations. Placed at the end of the scrapbook material is a file of outgoing letters, 1893-1907, and a biographical sketch, 1893, removed from Personal Miscellaneous. The letters are part of the microfilm of Gompers letters in other New York Public Library holdings. The Testimonials are three items. There are two bound testimonials; the first was presented to Gompers by the California State Federation of Labor, ca. 1911. The second testimonial commemorates Gomper's 50th wedding anniversary in 1917; it is kept in its original mahogony case. The third is an album of letters and resolutions from the occasion of the 1917 celebration. The Memorials are a bound memorial dedicated to Gompers by the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, and Paperhangers of America, and a large album of letters and other papers at the time of his last illness and death. One of the Photograph Albums consists of portraits of Gompers and various group pictures. The second album was presented to Gompers in 1918 by the Italian Supreme Command. This series also contains various Certificates and other documents, including three Italian salutations, two of which are on vellum. Photographs include loose items found in the front of the first of the photograph albums described above. In addition, there is a large autograph portrait of Gompers. A few minor Artifacts and Ephemera are also included in this series. Finally, there are Invitations, arranged alphabetically, Membership cards of fraternal organizations, and Dues books of the Cigarmakers International Union.